"What, she escaped? A blockade with one Admiral, five Vice Admirals, and twenty battleships, and she managed to get away?"
In the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, the old man leaning on his cane in the Room of Authority lost his composure for once, roaring at the Den Den Mushi.
"Sorry, Saint Saturn, but her spatial ability is just too troublesome."
From the other end came a lazy tone, accompanied by the clicking sound of a nail clipper.
"Forget it. From here on, we'll hand her case over to CP, but if they encounter related arrests, you Marines must cooperate unconditionally with CP."
Originally, the three major organizations under the World Government, Enies Lobby, CP, and the Marines, were supposed to be on equal footing.
But as punishment for this mission's failure, Saturn deliberately lowered the Marines' priority compared to CP's, placing them under CP's command for this operation.
"No problem. We'll cooperate fully on our end."
Borsalino's voice was nonchalant, as if he didn't care about this at all.
After the report was done, the other side hung up the Den Den Mushi with a sharp clack that echoed in the Room of Authority.
"Sigh, what should we do now?"
Nusjuro, with his hand resting on his sword, cast a sharp look at Saturn.
When they vouched for him back then, they had all spoken together. Now that things had spiraled out of control, if that Lord were to hold them accountable, none of them would be able to escape blame.
"How about… we conceal this matter?"
"...Agreed." x4
The five of them exchanged glances in silence, an uncharacteristic hush falling over the Room of Authority.
"Hehehe, I'd really love to see Kizaru's expression right now!"
On the deck of the Leviathan, Sakura leaned back in a beach chair. The all-purpose ship spirit had already prepared food for her.
"We... we actually escaped?"
Joe glanced back at Sunlight Island, now just a silhouette on the horizon, his face still pale.
"What else? You want me to send you back?"
Spearing a piece of meat with a fork and stuffing it into her mouth, Sakura's muffled words drifted from the bow.
"Please, absolutely not!"
The young man immediately stood at attention and bowed to Sakura.
Gilteo took off the white Den Den Mushi headset, "But to actually escape a Buster Call led by an Admiral with us in tow... Sakura-sama, you're truly amazing."
"Of course!"
Sakura proudly rubbed her nose, her expression practically begging for more praise.
[Heh~]
"Oh, System, thanks for this time."
[Notice: Achievement unlocked: [Enemy of the Celestial Dragons], [Nightmare No Longer Hurts]. Achievement Points obtained: 600.]
[Current balance: 1340]
'Wait, why is it 100 less? You skimmed my points again, didn't you?'
[Informing: One minute of Heavenly Phenomenon Descent used within the dream realm. Require playback of the record?]
'Never mind, forget it.'
Sakura's bravado deflated. After all, the system had bailed her out in the final stage of the dream, so she'll just let it take a little off the top.
[Heh!]
The ship sailed close to the Calm Belt. The Leviathan automatically retracted its sails.
Encased in a coating bubble, it continuously descended, parting the surrounding seawater and submerging beneath the surface.
After sailing for a full week, Sakura, led by the two men, finally arrived at the Revolutionary Army's headquarters, Baltigo.
Here, she teamed up with Ivankov, who had rushed to headquarters, to diagnose Ginny's condition.
"Sapphire Scales! Those government bastards actually dared to do this to Ginny!"
Ivankov in the consultation room smashed the table in front of him, breathing heavily.
"This is less of a disease and more like a loss of control following a Lineage Factor's modification."
Sakura held the diagnostic report and cell slice records, sighing softly.
Because Ginny's illness was a mutation at the genetic level, simple Medical Ninjutsu or Ivankov's Emporio Healing Hormones couldn't repair her afflicted body.
So, after discussion, Sakura proposed a radical idea.
Create a clone body using the still-healthy cells, then use a Chakra Seed to anchor the soul. Extract the soul, personality, and memories, and transfer them into the clone body!
"Then... doesn't that mean killing Ginny once?"
Ivankov's massive face contorted, every feature twisting. He took a few steps back and slammed against the wall.
"Then let's try it. Your original plan required my cooperation anyway, right?"
Having listened in on the discussion, Bartholomew Kuma, the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi User, poked his head in through the window. (T/N: Paw-Paw Fruit.)
"...Kuma!"
Ivankov was weeping openly, tears and mucus streaming down his face.
Only he, who had witnessed the bond between these two, knew the depth of pain and torment hidden behind the gentle smile on the man's face.
"Let's proceed with this plan!"
Seeing that Ivankov had lost his composure, Sakura stepped forward to finalize the treatment plan.
Once the treatment method was confirmed, the entire Revolutionary Army's resources were tilting towards the two of them. Dragon even risked multiple assassination attempts by CP to seize a large amount of equipment from the government.
During this process, Sakura and Kuma, who often had to discuss the treatment, gradually became familiar with each other.
Half a month later, in the operating room of Baltigo Hospital.
After disinfection was completed, three figures in white coats stood around two operating tables.
"Are you ready?"
Sakura took a deep breath. As the lead surgeon for this procedure, her gaze was serious as she looked at the other two.
"Proceed without hesitation. I will bear the responsibility, no matter the outcome!"
Kuma's face still held a gentle smile, but the hands that had saved countless people were now trembling.
"Good, I'm starting!"
Sakura formed hand seals. Her hands, infused with Chakra, touched an area on Ginny's body that hadn't yet grown the blue scales.
The cells injected with Chakra immediately began absorbing her Physical and Spiritual Energies, attempting to create their own Chakra.
However, the extraction of Physical Energy caused the already weak Ginny to show signs of pain.
"Emporio Peak Tension Hormone!"
With a look of struggle on his face, Ivankov still followed the planned procedure and injected the hormones.
He squeezed the last vestiges of life potential from Ginny's current body, converting it into Chakra as much as possible.
"Cough! Cough!"
She coughed up two mouthfuls of blood, her breathing becoming rapid.
"Hurry! Her vitals are dropping! Isn't it ready yet?"
Ivankov clenched his fists, urging Sakura anxiously.
"Wait a little longer. Recording the Chakra takes time!"
With one hand pressed against Ginny's forehead, Sakura sensed the completeness of the Chakra Seed forming within her.
The Chakra Flames spiraled from her abdomen, finally extending throughout her body via the Chakra Pathways. But the soul and memories remained locked in the brain, and the Chakra couldn't flow into that final region.
"Not good. Is her consciousness resisting because of the modification experiences?"
Watching the constantly falling numbers on the monitor, sweat beaded on Sakura's forehead.
Just as the two were at their wits' end, Kuma stepped forward and knelt beside the operating table.
"Ginny, didn't we promise? To always have full bellies from now on, to never go hungry again!"
"We still have to travel to all the places in the world together, to see the sights you wanted to see."
"So, please... wake up! Ginny!!!"
Tears finally spilled from his eyes as he spoke, dripping onto Ginny's hand, which he held gently.
Hearing the call of her lover, Ginny, who had been sinking into the deepest nightmare, moved her fingers.
A faint light appeared and the will that had resisted all external forces relaxed for an instant, allowing the Chakra to find an opportunity to penetrate deep into the brain.
The moment the flowing Chakra entered the brain, the soul unique to the young girl finally found a vessel.
Sakura shouted: "Now, Kuma!"
Kuma didn't hesitate for a second. He opened the paw pads on his palms and gave Ginny a gentle push.
The soul, which should have been untouchable by the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi's Ability, now had Chakra as a vessel, so it was completely pushed out.
Floating in a bubble shaped like a paw mid-air, Chakra Fames enveloped the figure of a pink-haired girl.
"Well done!"
Sakura rushed to the bubble to complete the final step, pushing the bubble to merge with the clone body.
Yang Release Chakra, which endowed life to form, touched Ginny's new body, infusing it with vitality and vigor.
On the monitor, various vital signs began to appear for this new body.
"Did it succeed?"
Ivankov's eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the young girl on the operating table.
Sakura patted his shoulder, giving him a big smile, then pulled him along as they walked out of the operating room.
In the silent operating room, only the sound of Kuma's quiet sobs remained.
Suddenly, a hand gently rose, wiping away his tears.
"Kumachi... you're so noisy."
"Ginny... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... Aaaaaaah!"
The quiet sobs finally erupted into loud, heart-wrenching cries. Kuma pulled the young girl before him into a tight embrace, unwilling to let go of this happiness regained.
"Kumachi... let's get married. I'll make you happy!"
"Mmm."
It was love, transcending life and death, that once again connected their destinies.